Reason #9 we should go to Thailand: We care about food

It isn't long after someone meets Theo or I that the subject of our diet comes up. Maybe it's the great food we make or the dinner parties we host, but we're known to most of our friends as The Vegans. Yes, Theo and I are vegan. I've been vegetarian for 12 years, and I gave up animal products entirely 5 years ago. Theo has been vegetarian for 13 years, and vegan for 9 of them. We're often asked what it is that we eat if we eschew meat, dairy, and eggs. The answer is lots of things! We enjoy vegetable stir fry, fajitas, pasta dishes, potatoes, tofu and a great number of other meat substitutes, and I have to say, I make some mean vegan cupcakes.

We just generally care about the kind of food we consume, and we like to share with our friends the wonderful dishes we make. I often bring a vegan baked good into the office for my fellow grad students to share. It sounds silly, but I often consider myself a vegan ambassador, showing others the wonderful foods one can make without animal products.

We also love to try new foods when we travel. Many of the countries we've visited have taken a different attitude toward meat and other animal products than we do, but we've always found incredibly friendly and accommodating servers and chefs making sure we get the best meal we've ever had. And we've had some amazing meals, from gazpacho in Seville to zarusoba in Takayama. And even if we don't eat everything on the menu, we love talking about local specialties and cooking methods!

I also enjoy exploring local markets. The English Market in Cork, Ireland and a small fruit market in Gamagori, Japan are among my favorites. I love walking through the aisles, viewing the fresh produce on display by the local farmers, and getting a different kind of view of the country I'm visiting. Thai food is, hands down, one of Theo and my favorite cuisines. We often seek out Thai restaurants when we travel to large cities, as we're guaranteed to have a wonderfully delicious meal. We went to a Thai restaurant on our first date, and that restaurant became one of our favorites in the college town where we met.

While in Chiang Mai, we'll document not only our sightseeing adventures, but our food adventures as well. We believe that food is an important part of any culture; you can learn a lot about a people and a place from the food. We're interested in where our food comes from: how it's grown and prepared, and the history of that food within the local culture. We don't see veganism as a hindrance when traveling. If anything, we'll explore local cuisine even more to find just the right dish. We hope to have amazing meals in Chiang Mai, and we can't wait to share them all with you.